2009-04-21

This vacation slide features the artistic welcome you get entering Arizona on Route 66, the famous road that once connected Chicago with Los Angeles before the interstates. Are welcome signs still this cool anywhere? The saguaro cactus and pines are stylized just right, as is the landscape. Wonder why the Grand Canyon didn't make the graphic cut?And speaking of... this is slide is labeled "Fireplace on balcony of Desert View Watchtower." They say you can't photograph the grandeur of the Canyon, but this one kind of gave me vertigo as I was previewing it. I think the woman in this Kodachrome may also feel it — it looks like the gentleman is helping her away from the edge.Forty-eight stars fly on Old Glory as we enter The Painted Desert Inn. Built in 1924 of petrified wood and other native stone, it operated privately for 12 years. It became part of the Petrified Forest National Monument in 1935, supplying Route 66 travelers with meals, souvenirs, and lodging. Although remodeled and stabilized over the years it fell into disrepair, and when facing the wrecking ball, a concerned public prevented its demolition in 1975. It is now a visitor's center and National Historic Landmark — not to mention pure Americana of the highest order. Way to go preservationists!